The word ‘manager’ in an IT professional’s job title brings better job opportunities in the current jobs market is an insight to emerge from Report on Jobs. The latest monthly bulletin found that the ICT sector fared better than most during August and that permanent project and programme managers are set to be in demand.
By Helen Beckett [10/09/2010]
Three sectors bucking the gloomy economic prognosis are ICT, engineering and accounting, confirmed the report, commissioned by management consultants, KPMG, and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Within the IT sector, project managers jobs, programme manager jobs, and business analyst jobs are the most sought-after roles by employers.
“There is more demand for ‘higher end’ roles”, confirmed Dave Pye, director of the REC Technology Group and CEO of recruitment firm, JM Group. However, even if your job title doesn’t contain the magic ’m’ word, there’s good news. The programme managers who approve projects then need to hire workers in other roles such as developers, testers in order to implement the work.
“For the most part, people in IT are feeling pretty chipper,” said Pye who added that there are an ‘active number of requirements being recruited for’. Talk of the double-dip recession should not frighten the IT community, in Pye’s opinion.
These pieces of good news occurred in the context of a report that concluded that growth weakened and pay rises slowed in the ICT sector. While the sharp spike in IT jobs reported by the REC in March this year diminished in August, however, there were more jobs last month than there were in August last year.
“A huge breath of fresh air swept through the IT community in March”, according to Pye, and there was a subsequent, sharp increase in the numbers of permanent and contract work. “It’s worth remembering that people don’t release jobs in August and December and so that factor is part of the slower growth”, he added.
However, the relatively good fortune of the IT community does have a geographic element, according to the report. Across all sectors, most appointments are occurring in the south, the south-east and in the City of London.
August IT job market facts
• The number of people placed in new jobs by recruitment consultancies continued to increase in August, but growth slowed further from March’s peak.
• Latest data signalled a further moderation in growth of demand for staff during August. Weaker increases in demand were recorded for both permanent and temporary workers.
• There was evidence of weakening pay pressures in August. Permanent staff salaries rose at the slowest rate for seven months, while temporary staff pay growth was at a five-month low.
• Although staff appointments rose at a slower pace in August, there was evidence of growing skill shortages.
Source: Report on Jobs
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